David Yassky
Streetsblog Basics
As Crash Victim Leaves Hospital, TLC Says It Ignored 4,500 Dangerous Drivers
After cabbie Mohammed Himon ran over English tourist Sian Green on a Sixth Avenue sidewalk, the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission announced it would seek a 30-day license suspension for the driver, who already had nine points on his record from an injury-causing crash, speeding, and red light running. The suspension summons, which brought a guilty plea from Himon, raised a nagging question: Given that Himon had enough points from TLC to warrant suspension even before he hit Green, why hadn't his driving privileges already been put on hold?
September 24, 2013
Yassky: Taxi Plan Will Reduce Car Ownership, Improve Safety
Since Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his plan to create a new class of taxis allowed to make street hails outside the Manhattan core, most of the coverage has focused on the potential effect on yellow cab medallion owners' profits or livery drivers' earnings. Less has been written about the broader effect such a plan would have on the city's transportation system as a whole (Cap'n Transit being a notable exception).
June 29, 2011
Can Cab-Sharing Reduce Traffic on NYC Streets?
With Albany lawmakers unwilling to properly fund the MTA, transportation planners are looking
to plug the gaps that have opened up in the transit network and expand New Yorkers' travel options using existing resources. That's certainly a big part of the thinking behind the Bloomberg Administration's recent decision to expand private van service where bus lines were cut. One of the other ways New York will try to wring more value out of the infrastructure we already have is cab-sharing.
July 15, 2010
Questions Linger About Bloomberg’s New Livery Van Service
On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg announced a new pilot program to provide livery van service for transit-starved neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, a proposal stemming from his 2009 campaign transit platform. The push to provide more mobility options in the wake of MTA service cuts is to be applauded, as is the administration's willingness to experiment with something new. But the jury is still out on this one. In particular, how livery vans will be integrated with the transit system remains a big question mark.
June 24, 2010
The Comptroller Race: Who Will Stand Up for Transit?
We've got two more citywide elections to review on the eve of tomorrow's primary vote -- the contests for comptroller and public advocate.
September 14, 2009
Preview: District 33 Transpo Smackdown
Tonight's candidate forum for the 33rd City Council district, which covers the Brooklyn neighborhoods closest to the East River, bears special significance for livable streets policy.
Outgoing rep David Yassky was an early supporter of congestion pricing
in the City Council and later carried the banner for the Bicycle Access
Bill, which passed earlier this summer. Will the next council member from the 33rd build on that legacy?
September 1, 2009
It’s Official: Bicycle Access Bill Signed Into Law
This was the scene at City Hall yesterday afternoon as Mayor Bloomberg put his signature on the Bicycle Access Bill. The mayor also signed Intro 780, which will increase the amount of bike parking in commercial garages and lots. Bill sponsors David Yassky (dark tie) and Oliver Koppell (red and navy stripes) were on hand, as were buildings commissioner Robert LiMandri (far left), DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan (center) and TA director Paul White (glare in his lenses).
August 14, 2009
In Historic Vote, City Council Passes Bicycle Access Bill
The New York City Council voted 46-1 this afternoon in favor of Intro 871, the Bicycle Access Bill, opening the door to significant gains in commuter cycling. Cyclists who do not commute by bike have long cited the lack of a secure place to lock up as the most important factor holding them back. Intro 871 will give thousands of them a new legal framework to petition for bicycle access at their places of work, but stops short of guaranteeing access to all buildings. All told, its passage marks the biggest
legislative victory ever achieved by bicycle advocates in New York
City.
July 29, 2009
Bicycle Access Bill Clears City Council Transpo Committee
As anticipated, this morning the City Council transportation committee voted in favor of Intro 871, the Bicycle Access Bill. The tally was 9-0 with one absence, sending the bill to the full floor for the Council's stated meeting tomorrow. The law will take effect 120 days after that vote.
July 28, 2009